SIXTEEN-year-old rugby league player Zac Blattner was denied a historic debut at the weekend, due to the inclement weather.
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If not for group 7 cancelling the entire round four, Blattner, from the Nowra-Bomaderry Jets, would have made his first-grade debut alongside his father, group stalwart and former Shellharbour player Mick Blattner.
It;'s believed this will be the first time a father and son have played on the same first grade team in group 7 history.
"It has always been a dream of mine to play footy with my sons," Mick Blattner said.
"It sort of became a reality last year when Zac was playing in the under 18s."
Zac was named at five-eighth, alongside his 41-year-old father, to take on Kiama.
"Zac played a strong game for the under 18s against league leaders Port Kembla," Mick said.
"After the match, captain/coach of first grade Ben Wellington said we need him. I stayed out of it, but thought if he's playing well enough, I'd love to have him."
Veteran forward Blattner snr coincidentally made his first-grade debut at the same game, way back in 1990.
"Funnily enough I made my debut at 16 years of age for the Leichardt Wanderers in SG Ball," he said.
Mick has played more than 400 first-grade games during his 26-year career.
"Since making my debut, I have played for many clubs including Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Shellharbour and now the Jets.
"I went back to Bondi back in 2007 in what I thought was going to be my last year. But I was feeling good and backed up into 2008 and was lucky enough to win the competition with Milton-Ulladulla.
"Since then I've ... held on to potentially have the opportunity to play with both Zac and his younger brother, Kealen [15].
"I'll stop when I feel I'm not playing well enough to merit my position, be it in first or reserve grade."
The significance of the achievement isn't lost on Zac, who is also playing first-grade cricket for Bomaderry.
"I didn't expect to be playing first-grade football at this age, that's for sure," Zac said.
"Last year I wasn't playing very much football ... but this year I have got the spark back to play footy."
He admits it's going to be special playing for the reigning group 7 champions.
"Not many people can say they play first grade footy with their old man.
"We have played together and as rivals in cricket a couple of times before, but this will be different.
"It's going to be an amazing experience, because I know how much it means to dad for me to be running onto the field with him."
If not named this week to play, Zac is expected to make his first grade debut sooner, not later.